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McMinnville in Warren County, Tennessee — The American South (East South Central)
 

Dottie West

— Tennessee Music Pathways —

 
 
Dottie West Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 5, 2022
1. Dottie West Marker
Inscription. Recording star and songwriter Dottie West was at the heart of country music for three decades. She scored more than 60 hits, mentored a generation of singers, and became a model of resilience in the face of personal crises and a rollercoaster career. Among the most widely admired vocalists of her generation, she recorded duets with several artists, notably Kenny Rogers.

Dorothy Marie Marsh was born near McMinnville on Oct. 11, 1932. After her parents separated, her mother worked in a restaurant in McMinnville, and West waitressed there. She appeared on a local radio station. WMMT, as a guest on the Hill Family Band's “Saturday Afternoon Jamboree,” and in 1951 obtained a scholarship to the Tennessee Polytechnic Institute (Tennessee Tech) in Cookeville. There, she met electrical engineer and steel guitarist Bill West, and they married. After moving to Cleveland, Ohio, in 1956, West began appearing on WEWS-TV's Saturday evening show, “Landmark Jamboree.”

The Wests made several visits to Nashville in search of a recording contract. Dottie West's first single was released on Starday Records in October 1960. The family relocated to Nashville the following year. In November 1962, Jim Reeves recorded the Wests' “Is This Me?” – a No. 3 country hit. In December. Dottie West was signed to Reeves' label, RCA Victor, and Reeves was
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her duet partner on her first Top 10 hit, “Love Is No Excuse.” Her first solo Top 10 hit, “Here Comes My Baby,” won the 1964 Grammy for Best Country & Western Vocal Performance, Female.

The Wests were befriended by Patsy Cline, who encouraged and occasionally supported them. On March 3, 1963, Dottie West was a supporting act on Cline's last show and Bill West was Cline's steel guitarist. The Wests drove home. Cline perished in a plane wreck.

After the Wests divorced. Bill West became a noted audio engineer. inventing the “talk box” used by Joe Walsh, Peter Frampton and others. Their daughter, Shelly, became a country singer and their son, Kerry, became an audio engineer for Ronnie Milsap.

Throughout the 1960s. West scored a succession of country hits, including successful duets with Don Gibson, notably “Rings of Gold.” In 1964, she became a member of the Grand Ole Opry, remaining a mainstay of the show.

In 1972, West was approached by a New York advertising agency, McCann-Erickson, for songs to be used in Coca-Cola campaigns. The first, “I'm Your Country Girl,” was followed by what became her theme song, “Country Sunshine.” In 1973, the “Country Sunshine” campaign won the advertising industry's Clio award for Best Campaign. West won for Best Music with Lyrics.

Signed by United Artists Records in 1976, West was paired with the label's
Dottie West Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Duane and Tracy Marsteller, May 5, 2022
2. Dottie West Marker
top country star, Kenny Rogers, and they scored several No. 1 country hits. including “Every Time Two Fools Collide” and “All I Ever Need Is You.”

West's recording career declined in the 1980s, and she encountered financial problems but continued touring.

En route to the Opry on Aug. 30, 1991, West was in a car wreck that left her severely injured. She died on Sept. 4.

In 2018, Dottie West was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

[Caption] Dottie West and Kenny Rogers perform at the Civic Opera House, Chicago, Illinois, April 1, 1979.
 
Erected by Tennessee Music Pathways.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Arts, Letters, MusicWomen. In addition, it is included in the Grammy Award Winners, and the Tennessee Music Pathways series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is October 11, 1932.
 
Location. 35° 40.856′ N, 85° 46.402′ W. Marker is in McMinnville, Tennessee, in Warren County. Marker is on South Court Square, on the right when traveling east. Marker is in front of the McMinnville-Warren County Chamber of Commerce. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 110 W Court Sq, McMinnville TN 37110, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Charles Faulkner Bryan (within shouting distance of this marker); Occupation of McMinnville
Dottie West image. Click for full size.
United Artists Records (cropped) (public domain), 1977
3. Dottie West
A promotional photo for When It's Just You and Me, her first album released under United Artists. The title track peaked at number 19 on the country chart.
(about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Gen. Benjamin J. Hill (about 300 feet away); 16th Tenn. Reg’t. C.S.A. Memorial (about 300 feet away); Symbol of Strength (about 300 feet away); Elisha Pepper II (about 300 feet away); POW and MIA Memorial (about 300 feet away); Uncle Dave Macon (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in McMinnville.
 
Also see . . .
1. Dottie West. Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum's biography of West. (Submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 

2. The Life and Times of Dottie West. The Nashville Network originally broadcast this documentary in 1995. Note: Recording includes commercials. (Uploaded by MrKingsRow) (Submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 

3. Dottie West. Wikipedia entry on the country music singer and songwriter. (Submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.) 

4. Dottie West Remembered. (Submitted on March 25, 2023.)
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 8, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. This page has been viewed 467 times since then and 19 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on May 8, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.   3. submitted on May 9, 2022, by Duane and Tracy Marsteller of Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

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Mar. 19, 2024